Envelop, letter-card, or the like.



No. 040,035. Patented Apr. 24, |000.

s. KUHNE. y ENVELDP, LETTER CARD, 0H THE LIKE.

(Application led Nov. 12, 189B.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l,l

(No Mudal.)

THE Nonms Pm'msco.. PMQTQLITHO.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 648,035. Patented Apr. 24, |900. s. KuHNE.

vEITIVELP, LETTER GARD, 0R THE LIKE.

(Application led Nov. 12, 1898.)

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORG KHNE,0F DRESDEN, GERMANY.

ENVELOP, LETTER-CARD, OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 648,035, dated April24, 1900.

i Application led November 12, 1898. Serial No. 696,281. (No model.)

T0 all tali/0711] t muy concern:

Be it known that I, GEORG KHNE, a subject of the King of Saxony,residing at Dresden, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to Envelops, Letter-Cards, or the Like, (forwhich applications for Letters Patent have been madein Great Britain,No. 22,360, dated October 24, 1898; in Switzerland, No. 19,564, datedOctober 22, 1898; in Austria, dated October 22, 1898; in Hungary, No.15,148, dated October 24, 1898, and in France, No. 270,315, datedOctober 27, 1898,) of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in envelops, and has for itsobject to provide a ready and convenient means whereby the envelop maybe opened by the recipient without the necessity ot" employing a cutteror mutilating the envelop by tearing the same open with the fingers. Theinvention is equally applicable to letter-sheets wherein a sealingflapis employed for closing the same, and in carrying it into practice useis made of what I shall term an opener, which in its preferred formconsists of a substantially-triangular piece of relatively stronger andstiffer paper than that from which the envelop or letter-sheet isformed, which opener is conined beneath the flap when sealed to closethe envelop, but with its apex projecting through asubstantially-straight slot in the body of the said flap, but unattachedthereto, so as to be readily grasped and drawn upwardly, therebysevering the flap along the edges of the opening. In the preferred form,also, the severing or angularly-diverging edges of the opening arearranged with certain relation to the edges of the iiap, whereby whenthe envelop is opened a secondary iap will be torn from the main flapand may be subsequently used to again close the envelop.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, 3b, 4, and 5show forms of envelops with an opener having its apex projecting througha slot in the body of the flap and extending upwardly or away fromtheedge of the flap itself, whereby when the envelop is opened the iiap issevered downwardly, and in these forms it is obvious that the edges ofthe opener must intersect the edges of the flap above the gummedsurfaces for uniting the flap with the body of the envelop. Figs. 6, 7,and 8 -illustrate forms of envelop wherein the opener projects through aslot in the body of the hap, located near its edge, the flap in theseinstances being severed upwardly in opening the envelop, and, as in theformer instances,'the apex of the opener is entirely free and unattachedto the body of the iap. Fig. 9 is a view of a lettersheet in its openposition, and Fig. 10 is a view of the same sheet and showing theposition of the opener with its apex projecting through the .slot in thebody of the sealingiia Iriike letters and figures of reference in theseveral views indicate the same parts.

In Fig. 1 the lining h, outlined by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, coincides atthe bottom with the point of the ap a. The point b projects through aslot a' in the flap a. The yportion shaded by dotted lines representsthe gum on the inner side of the lining b and serves to secure theenvelop. If the point b' is seized with the fingers and pulled over inthe direction of the arrow-that is to say, downwardthen the edges 1 4and 1 2 cut through the paper of the flap. Consequently a triangle 4 1 2will be cut out of the iiap a, while the triangle 4 3 2 remains stickingto the envelop. The flap thus cut through can then be folded back. Thusonly the triangular portion 4 1 2 of the flaplining is operative. If thepart played by the triangular shape is considered, it will be seen thatthis shape provides without any further arrangements the point b'required for seizing in order to open the envelop. Then, owing to suchshape, the cutting through of the flap on the lines 1 4 and' 1 2 takesplace gradually. If the lining had been ofa shape limited at the topbylines 4 5 6 1 7 Sinstead of 1 4and 1 2- that is to say, by ahorizontal edge 5 8 with a projecting point 6 1 7-it would have beennecessary to sever the iiap along the line 5 8 all at once, which isobviously not easily possible; but the severing will be gradual if thestraight lines 1 4and 1 2 be replaced by curved lines-such as, forinstance, 1 9 and 1 10.

It is clearly not imperative that the point 4 3 2 of the flap a shouldcoincide With a portion of the lining, as only the triangular portion 41 2 is operative. In order to econo- ICO mize in weight, either thelower portion of the flap may be removed or the part l) may be madeshorter, provided that the cutting edges extend to or pass into theedges of the flap, so as to cut it throughout the whole of its width. l

Fig. 2 shows the lining b again as a rectangle 1 2 3 4c; but the flap aterminates at the bottom at the line f1 2, so that the portion Ll. 2 3of the lining b, which ismgummed on its under side, is exposed. As longas the lining h has a part projecting beyond the iiap and the triangleLt 1 2 is operative in cutting said part may be of any desired shape.Therefore it may be of a different shape from the part 4 2 3 of Fig. 2.Two constructions to illustrate this are shown in Figs. 3a and 3b, onlyhalf of each being shown. In Fig. 3a the whole lining has the shape ofan equilateral triangle, and the severing taking place along the sidesof the triangle the iiap will be cut from the point a down to the twolowercorners. In Fig. 3b the operative edge 1 3 reaches the lateral edgeof the flap a little above the' corner, then continues along the edge ofthe ap down to 4E, and then joins a projecting portion Z22, gummed onthe inner side.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 3b the lining b eiects both the closing and theopening of the letter, the former with its lower and the latter with itsupper portion.

In Fig. 4 the lining is made lower. It has the shape of a triangle 1 23, the base of which is above the gummed portion of the point of theflap. The same applies to the example Villustrated in Fig. 5, exceptthat in this case the corners of the triangle are cut off at 2 and 3. Inenvelops with short linings, as in Figs. 4 and 5, the part of the tiapprojecting beyond the base of the opening device may have any desiredshape, Fig. 5 showing an example in the part a2, extended beyond thepoints 2 and 3.

The second series of examples (shown in Figs. 6, 7, and S) has thecommon feature that the lining l) has its point b projecting downward.Owing to this fact and also to the shape of the flap and lining made tosuit the special purpose, anew flap, although a shorter one, is producedwhen tearing the closed Iiap, by means of which shorter flap and a layerof gum on its inner side, which is not utilized when the envelop isfirst used, the envelop can be again closed after tearing the outercovering. The person receiving the letter can therefore, after havingread it, close it again in the original envelop in order to preventunauthorized persons from seeing it. The letter can be thereforeretained closed in the original envelop and with the original postalstamp, which may have a legal importance,asin fixing the dat-e ofreceipt or posting.

In Fig. 6 the lining has the shape of an equilateral triangle 1 2 3, thebase of which is situated in the fold or joint of the flap a., the pointb' protruding between the fold and the gummed portion through a slot a'.In opening the iiap is torn along the lines 1 2 and 1 3, the

lower portion of the flap remaining adhering to the envelop, while theupper one can be bent back. The part 1 2 3 forms also a new flap whichcan be closed as its point projects beyond the lower iiap c and isprovided on its inner face with alayer of gum, (indicated by thehorizontal dotted lines.) Of course this layer of gum must not be usedwhen the envelop is closed for the iirst time.

Fig. 7 shows lthat the base 2 3 of the lining need not reach the fold ofthe flap (its joint with the rest of the envelop) when the operativeedges 1 2 and 1 3 coincide with the edges of the Hap. As regards thesealing for the second time, the same remarks apply to the constructionsshown in this and the following igures as have been made withreferenceto Figi 6.

On examining Fig. 8 it will be seen that one is not bound to keep to thehitherto-assumed shape of the portions of the flap projecting beyond b.The recesses of the Hap a at a a3, which must extend at least as far asthe edges 1 2 and 1 3, limit the gummed portion of the flap a at the topand prevent the upper portion of the flap from sticking after the flaphas been torn asunder.

The arrows drawn in all the figures on the point l1 may be printed onthe envelops, so as to indicate how to manipulate them. The point b'need be exposed or left free only to a sufficient extent to enable it tobe seized with two lingers. If it projects considerably, a slot er, asin Fig. 4, may be arranged, into which its point may be introduced toprevent it from being bent and injured in transport. The tearing may befacilitated by recesses or notches a, Fig. 2, or perforations along thelines on which the tearing is to be effected. If the point b projectsfrom a slot a', the pe-rforations lying in the direction of theoperative edges adjoin said slot, as in Fig. 2. f

Letter-cards or the like may be formed in accordance with thisinvention, as they are nothing but a sheet of paper and envelopcombined, so that no inventive idea is involved for such modifications.Several constructions of letter-cards according to this invention areillustrated in Sheet Il of the drawings, in which Fig. J shows aletter-sheet with an opening device spread out fiat, Fig. 10 showing thesame closed.

The sealing is effected by means ofthe two lateral portions d and theflap a, to the lower surface of which is secured the opener ZJ. Thelatter has in this case its point b projecting upward, as in Figs. 1 to5. The sealing is effected by the gum layer indicated by dotted lines atthe base of the opener I), which (somewhat asin Figs. 3n and 3b)projects beyond the lower edge ofthe flap u.. The recesses or cut-awayparts at h3 enable the central portion of the gummed part which is to besecured onto the back of the sheet e, situated below the portions d, tobe properly fastened in spite of the part e being lower than the partsd, or, vico versa, enable the corners b2 IOO to be properly secured ontothe liaps d, situated on a slightly-higher level.

In the letter-cards shown in Fig. l1 in their,

1l the point b' projects through a slot d in" the flap, and the portionsto be gummed of the iiap a appear accordingly in Fig. 13 as in Fig. 6.

Of course the opener if provided with gum on the back, can form, whenthe envelop has been once opened, a flap for a second closing. Theopening takes place in the same manner as in an envelop, only the twolateral portions d must be also opened, which is easily done.

The back of the opener maybe provided in all constructions with printedmatter or the like.

I claiml. A paper envelop Such as herein described having a sealing-flapfor closing the same with a slit in the body of said flap and an openerof relatively-stronger material attached to and located beneath saidiiap when closed and having diverging edges with the apex projectingthrough the slit in but unattached to the flap; substantially asdescribed.

2. A paper envelop such as herein described having a sealing-flap withgum for uniting its edge to the body of the envelop, with a slit in thebody of the flap above the gummed edge, and an` opener ofrelativelystronger material attached to and located beneath the iiap andWithin the gunirned edge when sealed and having angularly-divergingedges with the apex projecting through the slit in but unattached to theiap; substanstantially as described.

3. An envelop such as herein described, having a sealing-flap withgummed edges for uniting it to the body of the envelop With a slit inthe body of the iiap above the gummed edge but near theapex of the apand an opener of relatively-stron ger material located beneath andattached to the flap when sealed and having angularly-disposed edgesdiverging toward the base of the iiap, the apex of the opener projectingthrough and unattached to the iiap; substantially as described.

4. A paper envelop such as described having a sealing-flap with gummedsurfaces for uniting its edges to the body of the envelop and with asubstantially-straight slit in the body of the i'lap and an opener ofrelativelystronger paper attached toand coniined beneath the ilap whensealed and of substantially-triangular shape with its apex projectingthrough the slit in but unattached tothe iiap; substantially asdescribed.

5. A paper envelop such as described, having a sealing-flap with gummedsurfaces for uniting its edges to the body of the envelop and with asubstantially-straight slit in the body of the iiap near the center ofits outer edge, and an opener attached .to and confined beneath the iiapwhen sealed and of substantially-triangular shape with its base-lineparallel with the top of the envelop and its apex projecting through theslit in, but unattached to the iiap; substantially as described.

6. A paper envelop such as herein described having a 'sealing-flap withgum for uniting its edges to the body of the envelop and with asubstantially-straight slit in the body of the flap near the center ofits outer edge and an opener confined beneath the flap when sealed andof substantially-triangular shape With its base-line parallel lwith thetop of vthe envelop and its apex gummed on the under surface andprojecting through the slit in, but unattached to the flap, whereby saidopener forms when the envelop is open, a secondary flap for againclosing the envelop; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereto set my hand in the presence of the twosubscribing Witnesses.

GEORG Kin-INE.

Witnesses Orfro WOLFF, HUGO DUMMER.

